Identification exhibitor



Feb. 6, 1923. 1,444,669 l w. J. BILLARD ET AL l IDENTIFTCATION EXHIBITORFiled Mar. 27, 1922 provide an illuminated Patented Feb. 6, 1923.

- UNiTi-:D STATES PATENT WILLIAM J. BILLARD Ann rHEoDoRE r. sHEPLER, orPORTLAND, OREGON.

IDENTIFICATION EXHIBITOR.

application mea March 27, 1922. serial No. 546,976.

T o all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that We, WILLIAM J. DILLARD and THEoDoRE F. SHEPLER,citizens of the United- States, residing at Portland, in the county ofMultnomah and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in'A Identification Exhibitors, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying-drawings.

This invention relates to licenses and identification tag exhibitingmeans and has for an object to lprovide an illuminated exhibitor uponwhich is displayed astencil plate carrying identifying data, as forinstance license numbers and the like, together with such other data asmay be found necessary or desirable for a complete identification of theVvehicle to which the exhibitor is attached.

It.is an object of the present invention 'to provide an illuminated boxhaving a translucent side for casual inspection, over which is secured astencil plate constructed in' two or more sections, one or more sectionsbeing removable and one or more sections being permanently fixed, sothat when the removable section is removed an entire portion of thetranslucent member formerly covered thereby is visible and therebydlsclosing the unauthorized use or occupancy of th vehicle.

A further object of the invention is to box as an exhibitor for anidentification tag, form of a stencil plate in separate sections, eachsection carrying a part only `of the identifying data, requiring bothsections to be united to disclose the entire identification data; andonly when such plates are both in. position to disclose the entire datais the movement of the vehicle to which the device is attached anauthorized movement. With these and other objects in view the inventioncomprises certain novel parts, units, elements, combinations,constructions and functions as disclosed in the drawing, together withmechanical 'and functional equivalents thereof, as will be hereinaftermore fully described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device in operative positionmounted upon the fender of a conventional vehicle;

which tag is in the Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view through thedevice and mounting, as indicated by line 2-2 of Figure 1;

.Figure 3 is a View in elevation of the device with one section of thestencil plate partially removed; l

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken lon a normallyhorizontal plane, as indicated by line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal fragmentary sectional view taken on line 5-5of -Figure 3 showing the means of attaching auxiliary stencil plates tothe main stencil plate to permit'changing of or replacing such plates ascircumstances may require;

Figure 6 is a view in elevation of one of the interchangeable plateswhich in this instance is a data plate disclosing ayear 'of issue of thelicense. v

Like characters of reference indicate correspond-ing partsthroughout theseveral views.

The improved Yidentification displaying device which forms the subjectmatter-of this application comprises a boxlike body 10 which is securedto a motor vehicle orthe like in any approved manner. As shown atFigures 1 and 2 a bracket 11 is disclosed rigidly and permanentlysecured to the .fender'or mud guard 12. It is to be understood, however,that this is shown only to disclose van operative 'and complete deviceand is intended to in no Way limit the present invention to such means`or manner of mounting.

Within the-body 10 a reflector 13 is employed preferably curved, asindicated at Figure 4, with a light socket 14 secured to the top of thebody in such position that an electric bulb of the usual and ordinarytype, as indicated at 15, may be carried thereby in proper focalposition in front of theI reflector 13. Line wires 16 leadingin througha bushing 17, as shown at Figure 2, -are not intended to in any waylimit the construction to the usual and ordinary manner of grounding oneside of the socket, which construction is available for the presentinstance, in which case, of course, but a, single wire 16v would lead inthrough the.` bushing 17.

--The side ofthe Ydevice which carries the identification data, which'would be at the rear if the device is used upon the rear of aoY servingto hold and position awsheet of translucent material, as glass,indicated at -19. It is the intent that this shall be of the usual typeof translucent rather than clear glass to diffusethe light and may bewhite or any color, as circumstances may makel necessary or desirable.

Over a part, as for instance one end of this translucent sheet 19 asection 20 of a stencil plate is permanently fixed in any approvedmanner, while the second section 21 is made manually removable, asindicated more par ticularly at Figure 3. The stencil, plate in itsentirety, made up of the sections and 15 21, will when in position showat Figure 1,

' that is to say the position of authorized operation, disclose theentire data requiredto properly identify the vehicle both as toownership and licensing under the laws govern- .20 ing the licensing ofIvehicles. As the identification data relative to ownership, car numberand the like is likely to remain the same from year to year, or duringthe continuance of use -of the device, provision is made for changingthe data as to licensing, as for instance the inserting of an auxiliarylate 22 carrying the abbreviation of the @tate issuing the license and asimilar plate 23 having data to identify the year of licensing. 3@ Theseplates are made removable and in- ,sertible by forming lips 24 on thelmain sections of the stencil plates into which the v auxiliary plates22 or 23 may be inserted by curving or buckling the auxiliary platesuntil their ends may be inserted under the lips 24: with points 25formed on the auxiliary plates which grip upon the side of the mainplate opposite the major portion of the ends, so that the 4auxiliaryplate is held against displacement in either direction. It is obviousthat these auxiliary plates may be easily changed` and will be changedyearly or one changed yearly if the license the succeeding year isissued b y the same State. Without, however, the remaining portion ofthe data, as to numbers, name of owner and such numeral identificationas may be desired, the device is incomplete.

rlhe translucent pla-te 19 and the sections 5e of the stencil plate havebeen described as engaged byl flanges of the device and such aconstruction with the flanges directly upon the box is merely an obviousform and is perfectly feasiblefand ractical, but as `ac' .55 cess to theinside of the ody is at some times desirable, the plate may andpreferably will be mounted upon a cover hinged at 26 with a lock 27 forretaining the cover in closed posi,

iaaaeee tion. This feature, while desirable and of considerableadvantage may, if occasion requires, be dispensed with.

lt is the intent that one .section of the main stencil plate carryingone of the auxiliary plates, as for instance the plate 20, shall berigidly secured relative to the flanges 18, whether these flanges beintegral or a permanent part of the box or a part of .the coverstructure hinged to or otherwise movable relative to the box. lhe othersection of the main stencil plate, carrying another auxiliary plate, asfor instance the section 21, is intended to be removed at each time theauthorized operator of the car parks hisl car, or otherwise leaves itunattended. This section of the stencil plate will be placed in thepocket of the user and the data appearing upon the fixed section,l

hence notice would thereby also be given to law ofhcers that the use ofthe car was unauthorized. v i

What we claim to be new is: i

An identification exhibitor comprising an internally illuminated box, adiffusing cover for the box, a. plate formed in sections covering saiddiffuser, one section being permanently attached and the otherremovable, said sections being ,provided with perforations displayingidentifying data and one of said sections havingv an .additionalopening, and an auxiliary plate having identifying perforations, saidauxiliary plate having a mean lip proportioned to enter said additionalopening, and extreme ears proportioned to engage theouter surface of thesection and with the lip to maintain connection with the marginal edgeof and to cover 'said additional opening.

llntestimony whereof we lhereunto affix our slgnatures 1n presence oftwo witnesses.

WlLlLllAM J. BILL-ARD. y THEUDORE lE`. SILlElPLER.`

Witnesses:

0. lP. "Woman, y C. W. Annmorn

